Automatic weft-replenishing mechanism of looms



H. E.- WHITTAKER Nov. 9 1926.

AUTOMATIC WEF'I RlPLENiSHING MECHANISM OF LOOMS Filed Sept. 30, 1924 vvvvi Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

UNUSED STAKES ire-e610 Parser caries.

HAROLD EDGAR WHITTAKER, OF PRESTON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE \UI'IIT- TAKER LOOM CQMPANY, LIMITED, OLE PRESTON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING IVIECI-IANISM 0T5 LOOMS.

Application filed. September 30, 1924, Serial No. 740,826, and in Great Britain November 27, 1923.

This invention relates to automatic weft replenishing mechanism of looms and has for its object to devise improvements in the construction and arrangement of such mechanism which will render it more certain and reliable in action while at the same time safeguarding against breakage or other damage in the event of the mechanism attempting to operate when conditions are not favourable for its operation.

The invention consists in an automatic weft replenishing loom provided with a magazine for the cops which is slidably bodily in the direction of movement of the sley against the action of a spring or other restraining force so that in the event of the sley or any part movable therewith striking the magazine near the end of its forward stroke (due, for example to the amming of the cop to be transferred or to misplacement of the picker) the magazine will be moved against the said restraining force for the remainder of the stroke of the sley and: no damage will result to any of the parts of the mechanism. a

' The invention also consists in an automatic weft replenishing loom in which the magazine for the cops comprises a plurality of inclined planes on which the cops rest horizontally and down which they are moved under the influence of gravity as each cop in succession is removed from the magazine for replenishment of the shuttle, the planes being arranged in reverse directions or in a sinuous or zig-zag manner.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of on convenient form of magazine and transferrer in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1, and b Figure 3 is a plan of a part shewn in Figures 1 and 2.

In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 I arrange at the end of the breast beam at of the loom a suitable bracket or guide I) in which I preferably adjustably arrange a second bracket 0 in which I movably mount a hopper or magazine d, the latter consisting of or comprising one or more inclined planes cl, d upon which the cops 6 rest substantially horizontally and down which they move under the influence of gravity as each cop in succession is withdrawn from the magazine for the replenishment of the shuttle.

In the preferred arrangement the inclined planes are arranged in reverse directions or in a sinuous or zig-zag manner so that the maximum number of cops may be retained within the magazine consistent with minimum dimensions for the latter, and the cops are normally prevented from falling from the magazine by a spring flap f or like member, the lower part of which is adapted to contact with the lowermost cop e in the magazine but which owing to its resilience may be forcibly moved apart from the mag? azine when the transferrer operates to remove the said lowermost cop for replenishment of the shuttle, it being understood'that a suitable stop may, if desired, be provided to limit the amount of such movement or as in the case of the stop 9 to act as a fulcrum about which the spring flap or like member may operate.

It sometimes happens that if the cop to be transferred jams or if the picker is not in its proper place when the cop moves for ward the sley or some part movable therewith strikes against the magazine and would I result in breakage or damage to some part, and in order to obviate this I arrange the magazine to be movable wholly or in part in its guide or support 0 against the action of a spring h or other resisting force so that while capable of fulfilling its normal function it will yet be to a certain extent yielding if struck by the sley or some part movable therewith.

I prefer to arrange the magazine to be adjustable both in a fore and aft and in a lateral direction in relation to the sley, and any suitable means such as those indicated in the drawings may be employed for this purpose. i

The transferrer adopted in accordance with my invention is of substantially L formation in plan comprising an arm 70 by which it is mounted on the transferrer shaft Z and at the end of which is the hammer or transferrer proper is extending across the interior of the magazine in position to engage when depressed the lowermost cop e in the magazine, the hammer 70 extending substantially at right angles from the arm 70 so that it may engage a substantial length of the cop, and the arrangement is such that by setting back the loom spindle slightly the point of application of the transferrer to the cop to be transferred may be practically vertically over the shuttle box so that in this way the transferring force is applied to the best advantage, the picker having its upper part bent or set back or curved or thickened up or similarly formed to permit of the setting back of the loom spindle in the manner referred to.

The feeler mechanism for actuating the weft replenishing mechanism may advantageously be such as is described in British specification No. 198,708, although it will be understood that any other suitable actuating mechanism for weft replenishment may be adopted.

Suitable weft stop mechanism is provided whereby the transferrer mechanism is put into operative position for one or more picks and whereby also the loom is stopped in the event of the weft not having been successfully replenished on the second or subsequent pick.

A convenient form of mechanism that may be employed for this purpose is such as is described and claimed in the specification of British patent No. 10,128 of 1915 and which in a specific embodiment comprises a ratchet bar movable longitudinally against a spring and adapted to actuate a lever or like member secured to or posi- {i-oned to actuate the knock-01f lever of the The weft fork mechanism is adapted on failure of weft to operate a pawl which moves the ratchet bar through o-netooth for each successive failure of weft, the ratchet bar being held in such successive positions by means of a detent pawl which when the weft has been successively replenished is adapted to be released by an arm; or lever actuated by the weft fork mechanism so that the ratchet bar returns to its original or normal position.

In any modification of my invention the weft ends from the cops in the magazine or hopper may be arranged to be twisted round a common rotatable fitting carried on an arm mounted on the bracket holding the magazineand a cloth frame or the like may also be provided to hold the weft ends intermediate of the magazine and such fitting, in order to prevent their being blown about and entangled by draught caused by the operation of the loom or otherwise.

It is to be understood that the foregoing details of construction are given by way of illustration and not of limitation since I may modify the actual form of magazine and the construct-ion of spring or other means provided for resisting the bodily movement of the magazine and I may vary the form of transferrer hammer and the means adopted for actuating the weft replenishing mechanism depending upon the class of work which the loom may be called upon to execute or any practical requirements that may have to be fulfilled.

I claim: I

1. Automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms of the kind referred to comprising a magazine for the cops, a support in which said magazine is slidable bodily and means applying a restraining force to said slidable movement, said means being yieldable if the magazine is struck by the sley or any part movable therewith.

2, Automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms of the kind referred to comprising a magazine for the cops, a support in which said magazine is slidable bodily and a spring normally resisting movement of the magazine but yieldable if the magazine be struck by the sley or any part movable therewith. I

'3. Automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms of the kind referred to comprising a magazine for the cops, a support in which said magazine is slidable bodily, means applying a restraining force against said slidable movement yieldable if the magazine is struck by the sley or any part movable therewith and means for adjusting the position of the magazine support both laterally and in a fore and aft direction.

4. Automatic weft replenishing mechanism for looms of the kind referred to comprising a magazine for the cops, a support in which said magazine is slidable bodily, a spring normally restraining said slidable movement but yieldable if the magazine is struck by the sley or any part movable therewith, and means for adjusting the position of said magazine support both laterally and in fore and aft direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

n. E. wHrrTAKER. 

